Add The Mohammed VI Bridge to Your Bucket List

Here’s another must-see to add to your bucket list: the most beautifully lit bridge in Africa! Last month, the Mohammed VI Bridge in Morocco became the longest cable-stayed bridge on the continent. But that’s not even the most compelling reason to visit.

The bridge is impressive, running 950 meters long (about half a mile) with six lanes of traffic. Starting just outside the capitol city, it spans a deep valley to connect Rabat with Salé. The two 200-meter-high towers are epic and towering, but the true magic of this engineering feat is only visible after sunset.

The bridge is just outside the city of Rabat in the desert, where nights are darker. Out of the desert darkness, two brilliant glowing towers rise into the air. The entire bridge is illuminated by a lighting installation using Philips Color Kinetics technology to make the bridge glow against the black sky at night. Lights illuminate the two towers and the bridge’s cables for a startling view as you drive across, and lights running the length of the bridge create a majestic view from across the valley.

While driving across, the symmetric cables caste a psychedelic effect on the brilliant tower ahead, almost as if gravity were pulling you toward the glowing orb. After you’ve crossed the valley, the view looking back is just as awe-inspiring.

16 million color options make each evening view of this landmark unique. With all LED lights, this display isn’t even that expensive and it’s all energy efficient. The bridge, named after the King Mohammed VI, is expected to reduce traffic, boost the economies of the connected cities, and cut down on emissions by shortening the route between Rabat and Salé. The project cost 3.2 billion dirhams (that’s a little over 300 million,) but hopefully it will pay off.

So take a trip to Morocco and experience this beautiful structure for yourself. Make sure to take lots of pictures, maybe even record a video, to show your friends back home. Because we all know if you don’t document it, it didn’t really happen, and believe us you’ll want everyone to know that this actually happened.